Hunt gets 32 years in human trafficking case

YOUNGSTOWN – A 33-year-old Ashland woman was sentenced to 32 years in prison Thursday for her role in holding a woman with cognitive disabilities and her child against their will and forcing the woman to perform manual labor.

Jessica Hunt appeared in federal court before U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson.

Hunt and her boyfriend, Jordie Callahan, were convicted in federal court during a three-week jury trial in March. The charges included one count each of conspiracy to violate laws, forced labor and acquiring a controlled substance by deception.

Both were found not guilty of stealing the woman's government benefits and tampering with a witness.

The couple kept the woman and her 5-year-old daughter in a damp, dark basement with a lock on the door and no bathroom. They also threatened both with a python and pit bulls and forced the woman to shop, cook, clean up after their dogs and do other household chores.

The tactics included forcing the woman to eat dog food and crawl on the floor while wearing a dog collar.

In addition, Callahan and Hunt caused injuries to the woman so they could use the narcotic pain medications she was prescribed to satisfy their personal drug cravings.

"This is one of the more disturbing cases we have come across," U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach said. "These defendants richly deserve their sentences. We remain humbled by the strength and dignity of the victims in this case."

The U.S. Attorney's Office lobbied for a life sentence.

"I'm relieved that the government didn't get the life sentence they were seeking, but I'm disappointed she got as much as she got," defense attorney Edward Bryan said.

The conspiracy took place between August 2010 and October 2012. Ashland police got involved when the woman was arrested for taking a candy bar. She asked to be jailed because people had been mean to her.

Callahan and Hunt recruited the woman and her child to live with them in their two-bedroom apartment, knowing the woman had suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her with a cognitive disability.

Bryan said he would appeal the case.

"I don't believe the government proved its allegations against Jessica Hunt," he said. "This case is the product of overzealous law enforcement officers who engaged in suggestive interviewing techniques with a mentally disabled woman."

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chelsea Rice and Thomas Getz following an investigation by the FBI and Ashland police, with assistance from the Ashland County Prosecutor's Office.

Two other people involved in the case to a lesser degree previously were sentenced to prison. Daniel Brown, 35, pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Dezerah McGuire (formerly Silsby), 33, received a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to four counts of an indictment charging her with threatening the woman, beating her and making her do housework.

Brown and McGuire cooperated with authorities in the cases against Callahan and Hunt.